Apparatus and method for transmitting and receiving streaming data using multiple paths

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for transmitting/receiving streaming data using multiple paths, in which the streaming data is smoothly reproduced without being interrupted, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for transmitting/receiving streaming data using multiple paths, in which exchange of the streaming data is performed in real-time using the multiple paths regardless of obstacles. The method for transmitting streaming data using multiple paths includes managing and maintaining a path list including sequence information about a transmission path capable of transmitting data, framing the streaming data, and transmitting the framed streaming data via the transmission path according to the sequence information.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO THE RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/747,138, filed onJun. 9, 2010, which is, in turn, a national stage of PCT applicationnumber PCT/KR2008/007309, filed Dec. 10, 2008. Furthermore, thisapplication claims the foreign priority benefit of Korean applicationnumber 10-2007-0127385, filed Dec. 10, 2007. The disclosures of theseprior applications are incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method fortransmitting/receiving streaming data in which the streaming data issmoothly reproduced without being interrupted, and more particularly, toan apparatus and method for transmitting/receiving streaming data inwhich exchange of the streaming data is performed in real-timeregardless of obstacles using multiple path.

This work was supported by the IT R&D program of MIC/IITA.[2007-5-002-01, Development of Multi-Gigabit Air Interface Technology]

BACKGROUND ART

In radio communication systems in a band of 60 GHz using directionalantennas instead of omni antennas in terms of channel characteristics,there frequently arises a problem in that communications failure occursdue to considerable deterioration of the channel state of a pathpresently used, when the channel is interrupted by people or obstacles.The communications failure may be immediately solved when the people orthe obstacles are eliminated. However, since data exchange is performedwith a relatively high speed of about 3 Gbps in the radio communicationsystem in the 60 GHz band, communication failures occurring even for aconsiderably short time may cause serious problems.

In particular, in a case where a large volume of streaming data isprocessed in real-time as in real time video streaming data services,discontinuous video is generated even by a communications failureoccurring for a very short time, thereby causing dissatisfaction amongviewers.

In order to overcome the above-mentioned communications failure,according to the conventional art, diversity technologies using multiplepaths have been suggested. However, the diversity technologies mayencounter difficulties in overcoming the communications failure becausecommunication using a Line Of Sight (LOS) as in the 60 GHz may not havesignificant effects obtained by means of the multiple paths.

Also, in order to overcome the problems of the diversity technologiesusing multiple paths, a path diversity technology that may employdifferent paths for each of multiple antennas using the multipleantennas has been suggested The above-mentioned conventionaltechnologies using the multiple paths may determine whether the path isinterrupted based on data receiving-acknowledgement control signals.

However, disadvantageously, the data transmitting/receiving method usingthe conventional multiple paths may not be applicable in a systemrequiring high speed real-time processing, which does not even have timeneeded to receive the data receiving-acknowledgement control signals, orin an open-loop-system that does not have feedback information such asacknowledgement signals.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION Technical Goals

An aspect of the present invention provides an apparatus and method fortransmitting/receiving streaming data using multiple paths, which may,via the multiple paths, prevent real-time streaming data exchange frombeing discontinued even though people or obstacles exist in a Light OfSight (LOS).

An aspect of the present invention provides an apparatus and method fortransmitting/receiving streaming data using multiple paths, which mayreproduce the streaming data while preventing the streaming data frombeing interrupted without separate control signals even in the radiocommunication system using the directional antenna.

An aspect of the present invention provides an apparatus and method fortransmitting/receiving streaming data using multiple paths, which mayrestore even corrupted streaming data at the time of exchange of thestreaming data via the multiple paths.

Technical Solutions

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is a method fortransmitting streaming data using multiple paths, the method including:managing and maintaining a path list including sequence informationabout a transmission path capable of transmitting data; framing thestreaming data; and transmitting the framed streaming data via thetransmission path according to the sequence information.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is a method forreceiving streaming data using multiple paths, the method including:receiving a streaming data frame, and collecting the streaming data fromthe received streaming data frame; generating verification informationobtained by verifying the collected streaming data, and determiningwhether streaming data is corrupted; and restoring the streaming databased on the verification information.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is an apparatusfor transmitting/receiving streaming data using multiple paths, theapparatus including: a path managing module to manage and maintain apath list including sequence information about a transmission pathcapable of transmitting data; a data transmitting module to frame thestreaming data including the sequence information, and transmit theframed streaming data via a predetermined antenna; a data receivingmodule to receive the streaming data from metadata information includedin a streaming data frame; a data verifying module to verify whether thestreaming data is correctly received and whether the streaming data iscorrupted, and generate verification information; and a restoring moduleto restore the streaming data based on the verification information.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an apparatusfor transmitting/receiving streaming data using multiple paths accordingto an exemplary embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a method for transmitting streamingdata using multiple paths according to an exemplary embodiment of theinvention;

FIG. 3 illustrates a line data transmission scheme in a progressive modeaccording to an exemplary embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 illustrates a line data transmission scheme in an interlace modeaccording to an exemplary embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a method for receiving streaming datausing multiple paths according to an exemplary embodiment of theinvention.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the presentinvention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to the like elementsthroughout. The embodiments are described below in order to explain thepresent invention by referring to the figures. When detaileddescriptions related to a well-known related function or configurationare determined to make the spirits of the present invention ambiguous,the detailed descriptions will be omitted herein. Also, terms usedthroughout the present specification are used to appropriately describeexemplary embodiments of the present invention, and thus may bedifferent depending upon a user and an operator's intention, orpractices of application fields of the present invention. Therefore, theterms must be defined based on descriptions made through the presentinvention.

‘Streaming data’ of the present invention includes ‘real-timeuncompressed-video streaming data’.

‘Radio communication system’ of the present invention includes a radiocommunication system where directional antennas for a 60 GHz band areequipped.

The radio communication system for a 60 GHz band adopting the presentinvention may exchange streaming data using a directional antennalocated in a Light Of Sight (LOS) for the purpose of ensuring arelatively high transmission rate, and also may exchange data viaanother path other than in the LOS using a directional antenna. Here,‘via another path’ may be realized using a relay apparatus other than adata transmitting/receiving apparatus using reflection or communication,and determining and using multiple paths may vary depending on atechnical standpoint.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an apparatus100 for transmitting/receiving streaming data using multiple pathsaccording to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the apparatus for transmitting/receiving streamingdata using the multiple paths according to the present exemplaryembodiment includes a path managing module 111, a data transmittingmodule 113, a data receiving module 121, a data verification module 123,and a restoring module 125.

The path managing module 111 manages and maintains a path list includingsequence information about a transmission path capable of transmittingdata. The path managing module 111 inserts information about the pathlist in a header part of a streaming data frame, and controls thestreaming data to be transmitted via a predetermined antenna.Specifically, the path managing module 111 selects a specific path fromamong the transmission paths capable of transmitting data according to apredetermined rule, inserts information about the selected specific pathin a frame header of the streaming data to be transmitted, and controlthe streaming data to be transmitted via the antenna.

The antenna may be a directional antenna, and the sequence informationmay include cyclic order information about at least one transmissionpath included in the path list, or order information based on a priorityof the transmission path.

The data transmitting module 113 transmits the streaming data via anantenna selected by framing the streaming data including the sequenceinformation. Specifically, the data transmitting module 113 transmitsthe streaming data to a physical layer to thereby enable the streamingdata to be transmitted via the antenna determined by the path managingmodule 111. The data transmitting module 113 determines a sequence ofline data of the streaming data when the streaming data is in aprogressive mode, and transmits the streaming data via the transmissionpath to correspond to the sequence information. Also, the datatransmitting module 113 duplicates the line data of the streaming datawhen the streaming data is in an interlace mode, and transmits thestreaming data via at least one transmission path to correspond to thesequence information.

The data receiving module 121 receives the streaming data from metadatainformation included in a streaming data frame.

The data verification module 123 verifies whether the streaming data iscorrectly received and whether the streaming data is corrupted, andgenerates verification information.

The restoring module 125 restores the streaming data based on theverification information. The restoring module 125 determines whetherthe streaming data is corrupted based on the verification information,and interpolates corrupted line data from adjacent line data of thecorrupted line data when the streaming data is partially corrupted andis also in a progressive mode according to the determined result.Conversely, the restoring module 125 restores corrupted line data fromdecoding information of the streaming data received via another pathwhen the streaming data is partially corrupted and also in an interlacemode according to the determined result. Also, the restoring module 125restores corrupted streaming data by employing a weighted average of therestored streaming data frame when the streaming data is completelycorrupted according to the determined result.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a method for transmitting streamingdata using multiple paths according to an exemplary embodiment of theinvention.

Referring to FIG. 2, in operation S210, the method manages and maintainsa path list including sequence information about a transmission pathcapable of transmitting data. In operation S220, the method frames thestreaming data.

Next, the method may transmit the streaming data frame via the multiplepaths according to the sequence information. Specifically, in operationS230, the method determines whether transmission of the streaming dataframe is performed in a progressive scheme or interlace scheme. Inoperation S240, the method determines a sequence of line data of thestreaming data when the streaming data is in a progressive mode, andtransmits the streaming data via the transmission path to correspond tothe sequence information.

Conversely, in operation S250, the method duplicates the line data ofthe streaming data when the streaming data is in an interlace mode, andtransmits streaming data via at least one transmission path tocorrespond to the sequence information.

As described above, the sequence information may include cyclic orderinformation about at least one transmission path included in the pathlist, or order information based on a priority of the transmission path.Specifically, the method maintains a sequence of the paths, which areused at the time of transmitting the line data, in the line data unit,and transmits the line data while cycling through the sequence of thepaths. Also, a sequence or frequency of the paths for transmitting theline data is changed depending on the priority to thereby enable theline data to be transmitted. The sequence information may be inserted inmetadata information of a streaming data frame header at the time oftransmitting the line data based on the sequence information. The linedata transmission depending on transmission schemes will be described indetail with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.

FIG. 3 illustrates a line data transmission scheme in a progressive modeaccording to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, and FIG. 4illustrates a line data transmission scheme in an interlace modeaccording to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

Streaming data such as image data of a receiving-end may be transmittedin a progressive scheme or an interlace scheme. The streaming datatransmitted in the interlace scheme may include an odd field and an evenfield, so that the streaming data is respectively displayed in the oddand even fields. In this instance, the odd field and even field where afrequency is two times of a single frame may be obtained by dividinginformation of the streaming data, corresponding to a single frame, intotwo halves. Specifically, the streaming data in the interlace schemeincludes, in a single frame, the odd field comprised of odd horizontalsynchronization signal lines and the even field comprised of evenhorizontal synchronization signal lines, and the streaming data in theprogressive scheme generates a single frame based on at least one of theodd field and the even field to thereby generate the streaming data.

Referring to FIG. 3, first line data 331, 333, 335, 337, 339, 341, 343,and 345 is transmitted via a first path 310, and second line data 332,334, 336, 338, 340, 342, 344, and 346 is transmitted via a second path320. Also, when it is assumed that only the first path 310 and thesecond path 320 of the multiple paths in FIG. 3 exist, data startingfrom third line data is transmitted alternatively via the first andsecond path 310 and 320. Also, when it is assumed that a third pathexists, data may be transmitted alternatively via the first, second, andthird paths. According to the streaming data transmission schemes usingthe multiple paths of the present invention, the transmission path isrepeatedly changed, so that deterioration in qualities of the streamingdata such as bodily sensational picture quality in the receiving end maybe reduced.

Referring to FIG. 4, in the interlace scheme where the streaming data isdivided into an odd field and an even field and the odd field and theeven field are injected at times different from each other, adjacentline data has respectively different fields, and times for acquiring theline data are different from each other. As a result, when the datatransmission scheme in the progressive mode is adopted as shown in FIG.3, qualities in streaming data such as the picture quality may bedeteriorated at the time of restoring in the receiving-end. Therefore,in the data transmission scheme in the interlace mode according to thepresent exemplary embodiment of the invention, an order of the line dataof the streaming data is determined to correspond to the sequenceinformation, and the line data is repeatedly transmitted via multiplepaths, for example, via a first path 410 and a second path 420. In thisinstance, the line data is repeatedly transmitted until the transmissionof the line data of the streaming data is terminated. Also, an order ofthe transmission paths is changed when the subsequence streaming data istransmitted after transmission of the single streaming data isterminated. This is for the purpose of preventing repeated interruptionof the line data classified to be transmitted to an interrupted channelwhen a length of the interruption of the transmission channel isextended more than the streaming data. Specifically, the transmissionchannel is repeatedly changed, so that deterioration in qualities of thestreaming data such as bodily sensational picture quality in thereceiving end may be reduced even though the transmission of thestreaming data is impossible due to interruption of any one channel.

In the data transmission scheme using the multiple paths as described inFIGS. 3 and 4, when the system adopting the present invention has acapability for processing multi-path signals such as OrthogonalFrequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) technology at the time oftransmitting the same line data via paths different from each other, theline data may be transmitted even in the same time slot.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a method for receiving streaming datausing multiple paths according to an exemplary embodiment of theinvention,

Referring to FIG. 5, in operation S510, the method receives a streamingdata frame, and collects the streaming data from the received streamingdata frame. More specifically, the method collects the streaming datafrom metadata information included in the streaming data frame.

Next, in operation S520, the method generates verification informationobtained by verifying the collected streaming data. In operation S530,the method determines whether the streaming data is partially orcompletely corrupted so as to restore the streaming data based on theverification information. The method interpolates corrupted line datafrom adjacent line data of the corrupted line data when the streamingdata is partially corrupted in operation S530 and is also in aprogressive mode in operation S540 according to the determined result.In operation S560, the method restores corrupted line data from decodinginformation of the streaming data received via another path when thestreaming data is partially corrupted in operation S530 and is also inthe interlace mode in operation S540 according to the determined result.

In operation S570, the method restores corrupted streaming data byemploying a weighted average of the restored streaming data frame whenthe streaming data is completely corrupted in operation S530 accordingto the determined result.

The method for transmitting/receiving streaming data using multiplepaths according to the above-described exemplary embodiments of thepresent invention may be recorded in computer-readable media includingprogram instructions to implement various operations embodied by acomputer. The media may also include, alone or in combination with theprogram instructions, data files, data structures, and the like. Themedia and program instructions may be those specially designed andconstructed for the purposes of the present invention, or they may be ofthe kind well-known and available to those having skill in the computersoftware arts. Examples of computer-readable media include magneticmedia such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tape; optical mediasuch as CD ROM disks and DVD; magneto-optical media such as opticaldisks; and hardware devices that are specially configured to store andperform program instructions, such as read-only memory (ROM), randomaccess memory (RAM), flash memory, and the like. Examples of programinstructions include both machine code, such as produced by a compiler,and files containing higher level code that may be executed by thecomputer using an interpreter. The described hardware devices may beconfigured to act as one or more software modules in order to performthe operations of the above-described exemplary embodiments of thepresent invention.

As described above, according to the present invention, there is theapparatus for transmitting/receiving streaming data using multiple pathswhich may, via the multiple paths, prevent the real-time streaming dataexchange from being discontinued even though people or obstacles existin the LOS.

According to the present invention, there is the apparatus fortransmitting/receiving streaming data using multiple paths which mayreproduce the streaming data while preventing the streaming data frombeing interrupted without separate control signals even in the radiocommunication system using the directional antenna.

According to the present invention, there is the apparatus fortransmitting/receiving streaming data using multiple paths which mayrestore even corrupted streaming data at the time of exchange of thestreaming data via the multiple paths.

Although a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown anddescribed, the present invention is not limited to the describedembodiments. Instead, it would be appreciated by those skilled in theart that changes may be made to these embodiments without departing fromthe principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which isdefined by the claims and their equivalents.

1. A method for transmitting data using a plurality of transmissionpaths capable of transmitting the data, the method comprising: obtainingsequence information of the plurality of transmission paths including afirst transmission path in a Line Of Sight (LOS) and a secondtransmission path using a relay apparatus, the second transmission pathbeing different from the first transmission path; selecting, based onthe obtained sequence information, the plurality of transmission pathsone after another by changing a selected transmission path iterativelybetween the first transmission path and the second transmission path;and transmitting the data via the selected transmission pathcorresponding to the obtained sequence information, wherein, thesequence information includes information indicating that at least onetransmission path of the plurality of transmission paths is to beperiodically selected in cyclic order.
 2. The method of claim 1, whereinthe data include streaming data.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein thestreaming data is in at least one of a progressive mode and an interlacemode.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the LOS is formed for a 60 GHzband.
 5. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising a programfor instructing a computer to perform the method of claim
 1. 6. Anapparatus for transmitting data using a plurality of transmission pathscapable of transmitting the data, the apparatus comprising: a processorconfigured to obtain sequence information of the plurality oftransmission paths including a first transmission path in a Line OfSight (LOS) and a second transmission path using a relay apparatus, thesecond transmission path being different from the first transmissionpath, and select, based on the obtained sequence information, theplurality of transmission paths one after another by changing a selectedtransmission path iteratively between the first transmission path andthe second transmission path; and a transmitter configured to transmitthe data via the selected transmission path corresponding to theobtained sequence information, wherein, the sequence informationincludes information indicating that at least one transmission path ofthe plurality of transmission paths is to be periodically selected incyclic order.
 7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the data includestreaming data.
 8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the streaming datais in at least one of a progressive mode and an interlace mode.
 9. Theapparatus of claim 6, wherein the LOS is formed for a 60 GHz band.